Hello, I am the President of…

Hello,
I am the President of the Heron Park Community Association. I shared the information on Bill 66 with membership of our community via a community meeting, e-mail and on our FaceBook page. I did not receive any support for the proposal. I did hear a lot of concern that the proposal short circuits local planning and zoning by-laws.

We are also members of the Federation of Community Associations. The membership of the FCA is also deeply concerned with the Bill. We will also be urging our City Council to not request authority to access the provision of the Bill should it become law.

Below is a summary of concerns expressed.

-Short-circuiting the safeguards of the Planning Act, the Official Plan and the Provincial Policy Statement.
-Weakening of health, safety, and environmental protections.eg: the Walkerton Water crisis/tragedy from 2000-200.

Undermining core governance principles including:
o (a) elimination of the requirement for public consultation, especially with respect to large, impactful, development proposals
o (b) the loss of the right of appeal to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal and from Ministerial decisions
o (c) the creation of selective regulatory measures creating uncertainty for not only for prospective investors but for all Ontarians.

Bottomline: The residents of Heron Park in Ottawa do not believe that Bill 66 is necessary to improve competitiveness in Ontario. We believe that this Bill if it become law, threatens the quality of life and, undermines the key principles of responsible government of all residents in Ontario. Bill 66 should be withdrawn.

Sincerely,
Linda Gama-Pinto
President,
Heron Park Community Association.